On May 6, 2026, Benchmark Litigation, an international legal ranking guide dedicated to dispute resolution, released its Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2026 Rankings. Watson & Band was again ranked in the intellectual property practice area, in recognition of its professional capability, strong track record and outstanding performance in IP dispute resolution.

The recognition marks another consecutive year in which Watson & Band has been named in the Asia-Pacific dispute resolution rankings, underscoring the firm's continued leadership in intellectual property disputes.

About Benchmark Litigation

Benchmark Litigation, part of the Euromoney group, was founded in 2008 and is widely regarded as one of the leading annual guides focused exclusively on dispute resolution. The Asia-Pacific 2026 rankings cover 14 jurisdictions across the region and include major dispute resolution practice areas such as intellectual property.

The research for the rankings is conducted by Benchmark Litigation's Hong Kong-based team. Through extensive interviews with litigators, arbitrators, dispute resolution practitioners and corporate clients, and by reviewing recent representative matters handled by firms and lawyers, the research team assesses both case outcomes and market reputation to ensure that the rankings are objective, fair and professional.

Continued Leadership in Intellectual Property

As one of China's earliest intellectual property service providers, Watson & Band offers agency, advisory, enforcement litigation and commercial services across trademarks, patents, copyright and other IP rights. The firm has developed deep sector experience in areas including chemicals, biomedicine, electronic communications and semiconductors, and has built a strong professional reputation in the market.

In recent years, a number of IP litigation matters handled by Watson & Band have been selected as annual typical cases by the Supreme People's Court, local high courts, intellectual property courts, the China National Intellectual Property Administration and other authorities. More recently, the copyright infringement case brought by eight major Hollywood studios against Renren Video and the unfair competition dispute brought by Tuhu against JD.com concerning "automotive maintenance services" were both named among China Business Law Journal's Deals of the Year 2025 in the intellectual property category. The Tuhu v. JD.com case was also selected by the Supreme People's Court as a typical anti-unfair competition case.

From overall IP strategy and global IP management platforms to standardised corporate management and IP commercialisation, Watson & Band continues to protect the intellectual property rights and interests of innovative businesses in China and abroad through focused legal insight, disciplined process management and strong teamwork.

Turning Recognition Into Momentum

Watson & Band's repeated recognition in the Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific rankings reflects international acknowledgement of the firm's legal sophistication and practical capability at the intersection of knowledge, technology, legal theory and commercial practice.

Looking ahead, Watson & Band will continue to build on its deep bench of talent and industry experience, expand its broader dispute resolution offering, and provide high-quality legal services to clients worldwide through professional strength and innovative thinking. The firm remains committed to helping businesses grow steadily in a dynamic environment and to contributing to a more law-based business environment in China.